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Technologists for Global Transformation

The Technologists for Global Transformation program (formerly the Associate Product Manager program, or APM) develops and deploys an exceptional network of early career technologists to solve systemic global challenges for public benefit.

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Overview

The Technologists for Global Transformation Program (formerly the Associate Product Manager program) aims to be the foremost training and deployment program for leaders at the intersection of technology and impact. The program recruits exceptional talent with the technical skills and soft-skills acumen to drive the digital transformation of the impact sector.

 

Technologists will benefit from an accelerated career development opportunity through high-leverage projects, exposure to problems in different domains, and connections with an unmatched network of peers and mentors working at the intersection of tech and impact. The program is designed to broaden the pool of technologists working for public benefit, and as a result, address systemic and interconnected ecological and socio-economic challenges.

Program Tracks

The TGT program will consist of technologists in two specific tracks that reflect in-demand skill sets in the tech and impact ecosystem.

 

These are the (i) engineering track and the (ii) product track, with a focus on service delivery in nonprofits and government. Over the course of two years, technologists will rotate among a range of impact projects, operating with ownership and autonomy while learning from mentors at Schmidt Futures, other Schmidt Family-related organizations, and external partners.

 

 

Applications are now closed for the Fall 2023 Cohort. All applicants will be updated on next steps on October 24th, 2022.

Engineering

Engineering technologists will work in small teams and drive tangible impact through delivering software solutions that address complex societal challenges. Key responsibilities will include evaluating technical architecture with other engineers, building customer software applications, and developing technical strategies with other team members

Engineers who join this team are entrepreneurial technologists early in their careers who are eager to change the world.

Product

In collaboration with teammates who have expertise ranging from policy and international relations to data science and education, product technologists will build products that leverage technology to further Schmidt Futures’ goals and benefit society. 

Product Managers “graduate” with a range of technical, soft and leadership skills which equip them to manage teams in product or product-adjacent roles, found companies as entrepreneurs, and create impact in a variety of leadership roles. 

Our program empowers each Product Manager with a toolkit that will allow them to craft a unique journey and become catalysts of change in the impact sector.

What you'll gain

Project leadership skills

  • You will be asked to collaborate with internal and external teams;
  • You will develop in-demand hard and soft skills including core tech and leadership skills;
  • You will be offered mentorship and coaching;
  • You will learn on-the-job via rotational experiences;
  • You will develop strong bonds and networks within and across cohorts

A community of like-minded technologists

Be part of our community helping us to shape the future of the Technologists for Global Transformation program, mentor the next cohort.

Solve real problems

Your contribution will help us implement Schmidt Futures organizational and programmatic initiatives, in collaboration with teammates who have expertise ranging from policy and international relations to data science and education.

Hone your knowledge, skills, and abilities

Technologists for Global Transformation “graduate” ready to manage teams, start businesses, lead organizations, and become social and policy entrepreneurs.

APM fellows group photo

Our impact

The Technologists for Global Transformation program’s impact in the world includes:

25% decrease in North Dakota's prison population through a technologist’s work with Recidiviz
850 farmers supported through a technologist’s work with PlantVillage

Application Timeline

 

  • Application Deadline: October 3 (Applications are now closed for the Fall 2023 Cohort. All applicants will be updated on next steps on October 24th, 2022. )

 

  • Interviews: End of October – Mid-November

 

  • Final Decision Notification: Mid-December

What Qualities Do We Look For?

Creative and entrepreneurial

Brings a fresh perspective and celebrates new, better ideas.

Flexible problem solver

Able to work through ambiguity to take on and solve challenges.

Bias toward impact

Gets things done, with a track record of successful landings.

Customer empathy

Demonstrates compassion. Gets to know the end users well in order to help understand problems and create the most personalized impact.

Ownership attitude

Eager to do whatever needs to be done to get a product out into the world, forging trust with teammates through humility and hard work. Drives team success through effective time management.

Perseverant

Navigates through challenges with persistence and courage.

Fast learning

Solves novel problems in new domains, and picks up new knowledge quickly.

Curious

Excited to learn. Has a growth mindset and emphasizes the lesson, not just the result.

Mission-driven

Committed to advancing society through the principles and values that drive Schmidt Futures: to find exceptional people and help them do more for others.

Collaboration

Works well in cross-functional roles with other stakeholders

Application Process

Online ApplicationCandidates will submit their resume and application materials through the job posting by October 3, 2022.

 

Technical Assessment – Select candidates will be invited to complete a timed technical assessment that will assess mastery in at least one programming language, analytic and systems thinking, and problem-solving through engineering and design questions.

 

InterviewsSelect candidates will meet with members of the Schmidt Futures team in up to three interviews to discuss program fit and career aspirations. For applicants interested in engineering, candidates will talk through how they would deploy software solutions to solve complex social problems. For applicants interested in product with a focus on service delivery in nonprofits and government, they will talk about product sense, and user and impact-centered reasoning.

Requesting a TGT Placement

If your organization could benefit from a technologist to solve hard problems in science and society, please fill out the following form, which requests responses to the following questions: 

 

  1. What problem (or problems) could a technologist tackle at your organization in a reasonable time, such as 6 months? Please describe one or two examples. How would you imagine a technologist spending a day at your organization? 
  2. Do you have a technical team? Give us a brief overview of their roles (e.g. “1 front-end engineer, 1 DevOps engineer, 1 designer, 1 product manager”). 
  3. Within your organization, who could serve as a dedicated mentor to the TGT? 

 

Our exceptional TGTs are matched on a rolling basis.  We may want to meet with you before a placement decision is made. The sooner your organization is able to share this information, the better!

Application qualifications

 

  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering or Computer Science (with graduation expected by June 2023) or an equivalent level of training and expertise (coding bootcamps, have learned on the job, or are self taught).

 

  • A demonstrated ability or interest in applying science and technology to solve social problems.

 

  • Be based at the Schmidt Futures offices in New York and travel within the U.S. and internationally regularly as needed following company policy and permitting circumstances.

 

  • We are committed to looking holistically at applicants from diverse backgrounds, including international candidates, to build the strongest cohort. Candidates who do not meet all requirements but who can make a case for being considered for the position are encouraged to apply.

 

 

Technologists for Global Transformation 2022 Cohort

Alanna Flores

Alanna is pursuing an M.S. in Management Science and Engineering and a B.S. in Computer Science, concentrating in Artificial Intelligence and minoring in Human Rights at Stanford University. 

She has worked as a data science intern at Recidiviz and a software engineering intern at The Washington Post and Accountability Counsel.

Anmolpreet Kandola

Anmolpreet Kandola graduated from Columbia University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. 

Currently with Amazon, he is a Software Development Engineer who works on the global catalog infrastructure. He has conducted computational neuroscience research at Stanford and interned as a backend engineer at Tagup, an IoT startup.

Catherine Zhang

Catherine Zhang will graduate from Cornell University in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Sociology.

 She was previously a technical program management intern at Uber and a product management intern at two different startups.

Daniel Schwartz

Daniel Schwartz will obtain his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with minors in Software Engineering and Finance from McGill University in April 2022. 

Daniel is currently a program manager intern at Tesla, he has previously held roles in product management, strategy, and finance.

Kyle Barnes

Kyle Barnes is the co-founder and Executive Director of Representable, a nonprofit community mapping startup that fights gerrymandering. 

He will earn his bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a focus on Human-Computer Interaction from Princeton University in May of 2022.

Mia Jackson

Mia earned her bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from Yale University in 2021. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at University College London studying the influence of urban design decisions on health and educational outcomes using data science techniques. 

She was previously a Data Science Fellow for Code2040 and worked at Access Health Connecticut and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Mikey Abela

Mikey Abela will receive a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with pathways in Visual Computing and Design from Brown University in May 2022. 

He has previously worked as a software engineer intern, focused on frontend web development, at Microsoft and the New York Times.

Sahana Srinivasan

Sahana Srinivasan will earn her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science with a minor in Government from Harvard College in 2022. 

She interned in product management and software engineering roles at Microsoft and has served as a teaching assistant and the editor of a data journalism publication in college.

Siddhartha Bose

Siddhartha Bose earned his bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science and Economics from the University of California Los Angeles in 2019. 

He is currently a Software Engineer and Technician in the Singapore Armed Forces and previously worked as a Cybertechnology Product Specialist at Darktrace.

Swathi Ramprasad

Swathi Ramprasad is currently an Eisenhower Scholar at the University of Oxford, where she will complete an MPP in 2022.

 She graduated from Duke in 2021 with a double major in Computer Science and Public Policy. She has held a software engineering internship at Facebook’s Civic Integrity team and served as a policy intern at the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

Featured Senior APMs/Product, Technologists for Global Transformation Program

Questions?

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at tgtplacement@schmidtfutures.com